UK to host Antony Blinken for talks on future of 'special relationship'

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to London on Tuesday for strategic talks with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on the future of the nations' “special relationship”. Talks between the pair will cover ”unwavering support” for Ukraine and the UK and US ’s commitment to a long-term, peaceful settlement in the Middle East and enabling a two-state solution, the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office said. Mr Blinken and Mr Lammy will also discuss ways to “deepen” the economic and security relationship between the US and the UK, in the first of what is hoped to be an annual “strategic dialogue”. Mr Blinken will discuss Asia , the Middle East and "our collective efforts to support Ukraine", State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. Mr Lammy said the UK has “no greater friend” than the US. “The special relationship has been cherished on both sides of the Atlantic for more than 80 years, but together we are committed to supercharging our alliance to bring security and growth to Brits and Americans alike,” he said. “In a more volatile and insecure world, it is even more important that we are highly aligned nations. Together we are re-energising our economic partnership, working together to tackle insecurity abroad and facing the future in unity and confidence.” Mr Lammy and Mr Blinken met during the Nato summit in Washington DC in July. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to Washington on Friday in his second meeting at the White House since his Labour Party won July elections, sweeping out the Conservative Party after 14 years. But former human rights lawyer Mr Starmer has taken a harder line on Israel since taking office, with his government announcing a suspension of some arms shipments , saying they could be used to violate humanitarian law. The Labour government has also dropped its Conservative predecessor's plans to challenge the right of the International Criminal Court to seek the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . The US is not a member of the CC and has opposed the bid to arrest Mr Netanyahu, saying Israel has its own systems for accountability. But the US, Israel's main weapons supplier, did not criticise the UK arms decision , saying that Britain had its own process to make assessments.

UK to host Antony Blinken for talks on future of 'special relationship'

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy says the UK has 'no greater friend' than the US